SCORE Association Announces Election of Officers and New Board Director

Washington, D.C.—The SCORE Association “Counselors to America’s Small Business” recently elected its officers for the next year, as well as one new board director. Carl Trautmann of St. Louis, Mo., will serve the second year of his two-year term as board chair. Other elected officers include James Pyles of Elkhart, Ind., who will serve as vice chair; Joseph Wollenberger of Charleston, W.V., elected as secretary; and Diane Sisson of Daphne, Ala., re-elected as treasurer. Joining the board of directors as an at-large member is Barbara Kasoff of San Francisco, Calif. Their terms began October 1, 2003.

SCORE is the premier source for small business counseling in America. SCORE has nearly 400 chapters in all 50 states and the U.S. territories that offer free and confidential business counseling and low-cost workshops and seminars for entrepreneurs. More than 10,500 professionals volunteer their time to advise and mentor new and emerging small business owners. The volunteers on the national board provide governance and strategic planning direction.

Carl Trautmann spent nearly 30 years as a manager with the McDonnell Douglas Corporation. In addition, he started two small businesses and has consulted for over 300 businesses internationally. Trautmann also developed and authored a Web site which provides users with a dictionary of small business terms. He spent three years in the United States Navy, and is involved in numerous civic and community groups, including the International Executive Service Corps and the St. Louis Symphony.

James Pyles was with the Bayer Corporation for 38 years, ending his career in charge of product management for One-A-Day Vitamins and manager of consumer sales promotions. Pyles also spent three years on the professional board of directors for the Promotion Marketing Association of America. His contributions to his community include a term as president of the Elkhart Urban League and a lifetime membership in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Joseph Wollenberger currently owns a marketing company that specializes in radio and television commercials, after spending most of his professional life as an attorney. He practiced with the law firm of Kirkland and Ellis, was assistant general counsel for labor and equal employment for Monsanto Corporation, and also served as vice president of industrial relations at Alberto-Culver. He began his career working as an attorney for the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C. Wollenberger serves on the boards of many civic organizations, and is president of the Charleston Community Music Association.

Diane Sisson has worked for many years as an advocate for small business. The U.S. government has consulted her on how to enhance the economic development of small business. She has also drawn attention to the important part small businesses play in supporting America’s armed forces, and was awarded the Meritorious Civilian Service Medal for those efforts. Sisson is founder and president of Sisson and Associates, and was honored in 2000 by the U.S. Small Business Administration as the U.S. Women in Business Advocate of the Year.

Barbara Kasoff is a former owner of several companies, including Voice-Tel of Michigan, a voice communications company, and Voice Response Corp., a teleservice and database marketing company. She is also the co-founder of two advocacy groups, Grass Roots Impact and Women Impacting Public Policy, which work to further the interests of small business owners. She has served as a delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business and as vice president of public policy for the National Association of Women Business Owners.

The SCORE Association was formed in 1964 as a nonprofit association dedicated to entrepreneur education and the formation, growth and success of small business nationwide. For information about starting or operating a small business, call 1-800/634-0245 for the SCORE chapter nearest you. More than 10,500 volunteer members provide individual counseling and business workshops for aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners. SCORE has assisted more than 6 million Americans with small business counseling. Visit SCORE on the Web (www.score.org).